Most Pharmaceutical Schools Now Teach Medical Cannabis

A survey of U.S. pharmaceutical schools found that 62 percent now include medical cannabis in its PharmD curriculum, and another 23 percent plan to add it in the next 12 months. The findings suggest 85 percent of all PharmD programs could be teaching medical cannabis by the end of next year.

To the surprise of some, about 40 percent of the schools that currently teach medical cannabis are actually located in states that have yet to legalize medical cannabis.

The researchers also asked about the importance of specific topics related to medical cannabis. Rated on a scale of one (high importance) to five (low importance), the topics received a median score of three. Topics included therapeutic uses, toxicity and patient counseling points, and the median scores typically finished closer to two for schools in states that already legalized.

A trio of researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy conducted the study and published the findings in the Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning journal. They concluded, "With more states legalizing medical marijuana, student pharmacists must be prepared to effectively care for their patients who may use medical marijuana alone or in combination with prescription or over-the-counter medications."